Budget PC

Chensey13

Junior Member
Dec 18, 2012
7
0
0
Hello all, I'm looking to build a budget PC. Thanks!

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
Word/Web/Moderate Gaming

2. What YOUR budget is.
$500

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA (no microcenter)

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
1080p

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Within next few days

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
No
 

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2009
3,793
1
81
Do you need a monitor? Keyboard? Mouse? Etc?

or is this just for the hardware in the tower?
 

lehtv

Elite Member
Dec 8, 2010
11,897
74
91
CPU + Cooler AMD 760K + Cooler Master Hyper T4 $105 AR
Mobo Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H $65 AP
RAM Kingston HyperX Blu Red 2x4GB 1600MHz $65
GPU EVGA 750 Ti $160
HDD + Optical Seagate 1TB + Lite-On DVD-RW $79
PSU Corsair CX430 $20 AR
Case Raidmax Sting Ray ATX case $23 AR AP

$517

If you need a mouse and keyboard, get a 260X and a mouse+keyboard combo from Logitech or Microsoft.

The optical drive may not be needed as OS can be installed from USB

Also, if you value a higher quality case: Antec One $45 ($35 AR) @ NCIX (limited quantities)
 
Last edited:

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2009
3,793
1
81
Here's one with just the tower:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3g9WU
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3g9WU/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3g9WU/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Constellation ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Club 3D Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $504.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-25 10:44 EDT-0400)
 

Chensey13

Junior Member
Dec 18, 2012
7
0
0
Thank you both very much! Yes it was just for the tower.

If I were to go the Intel route, would the PSU and case that Leh suggested be sufficient or would there be a better alternative? I do not have a microcenter nearby.
 

lehtv

Elite Member
Dec 8, 2010
11,897
74
91
Intel consumes less power, and the case is processor and motherboard brand agnostic. I suggested two different cases though, but again it doesn't matter, the Antec One is better quality and better performing but all the components will work fine in either of the cheaper cases suggested here.

Both the i3 and the 760K are fine, although in terms of pricing, AMD's i3 equivalent is FX-6300 which I would prefer over the i3, I think it's a better balance in terms of threads versus performance per thread. However, the i3 does have the advantage of being compatible with that cheap MSI motherboard which still has a moderately good onboard audio chip and SATA 6gb/s as well as USB 3.0 ports.

If you can go a over that $500 budget, do get the R9 270, it's a good bit faster than the EVGA 750 Ti, and allows you to use Mantle in BF4 and, in the future, some other games as well. The advantage with 750 Ti is excellent performance per watt.
 

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2009
3,793
1
81
Thank you both very much! Yes it was just for the tower.

If I were to go the Intel route, would the PSU and case that Leh suggested be sufficient or would there be a better alternative? I do not have a microcenter nearby.

Just FYI, the case and PSU from Microcenter were able to be shipped. I did check that to make sure it was an option.

Edit: I would also recommend a better case, but I was just working within the budget. Thermaltake might be ok. There are some cheap brands that have given me decent options in the past. But Antec is one that I regularly like to see.
 

mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
5
71
www.mfenn.com
I like mvbighead's build better here. He was able to fit in an R9 270 with an i3. That's significantly more GPU and CPU power than the 760K and GTX 750 Ti combo.